Activation of the cannabinoid 2 receptor – done naturally through the consumption of cannabis and cannabinoids – may be a potential treatment option for insulin resistance and obesity-related diabetes.

This is according to new research out of the Institute of Biomedical Engineering at the Chinese Academy of Medical Science; the study was study published in the journal Cellular Physiology and Biochemistry, and epublished by the U.S. National Institute of Health.

“The endocannabinoid signalling (ECS) system has been known to regulate glucose homeostasis”. states the study’s abstract. “Previous studies have suggested that the cannabinoid 2 (CB2) receptor may play a regulatory role on insulin secretion, immune modulation and insulin resistance.”

Given that diabetes and insulin resistance are attributable to elevated inflammatory tone, researchers “investigated the role of CB2 receptor on glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity in high-fat diet (HFD)/streptozotocin (STZ)-induced mice.”

Despite a lack of impact on glucose tolerance,” substantial improvement on insulin sensitivity was observed” in mice treated with a chemical designed to activate the cannabinoid 2 receptor (CB2R), which “could partly be attributed to improved islet β-cell function, shown as increased glucose-induced insulin secretion and insulin content.”

The final data “suggest a lipolytic role of SER601 in HFD/STZ-induced diabetic mice, which results in significant improvement of systemic insulin sensitivity.”

Thus, the study concludes, “the CB2 receptor may be considered a promising target for therapeutic development against insulin resistance and obesity-related diabetes.”

Anthony Martinelli

Anthony is co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of TheJointBlog. He has worked closely with numerous elected officials who support cannabis law reform, including as the former Campaign Manager for King County (WA) Councilmember Dave Upthegrove. He has been published by multiple media outlets, and is a former contributor for Village Voice Media.